The Chicago collectors Reva and David Logan have in twenty years assembled one of the most important American collections of artists’ books created during the past century. Artists’ books (also called livres d’artiste or illustrated books) combine text with art, usually original prints created especially for that volume, to form a unified whole.

The majority of the books in this exhibition have been generously donated by the Logans since 1998 to form the Reva and David Logan Collection of Illustrated Books at theFine Arts Museums of San Francisco. They represent virtually every important art movement of the 20th century.

After extensive study and research, the Logans began in the 1970’s to seek out the finest available copies of major artists’ books. Patience and perseverance were needed, as many books had become great rarities that appeared infrequently on the art market. The resulting collection is broadly historical yet also reflects the personal taste and preferences of the Logans. It is largely a 20th-century collection, although there are a number of books illustrated by mid 19th-century artists, such as Edourd Manet, Odilon Redon, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, and Auguste Rodin, that set the stage for the modern artists’ book.